Born in Hyderabad in an Afridi Pashtun family, Husain completed his schooling in Etawah and went on to study at the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, Aligarh and the University of Berlin from where he obtained a doctoral degree in economics.

A close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, Husain was a founding member of the Jamia Millia Islamia which was established as an independent national university in response to the Non-cooperation movement.

Husain was born in Hyderabad in 1897 and was of Afridi Pashtun descent, his forefathers having settled in the town of Qaimganj in the Farrukhabad district of modern Uttar Pradesh.

[2][3] His father, Fida Husain Khan, moved to the Deccan and established a successful legal career in Hyderabad where he settled in 1892.

[2][4] Following his father's death in 1907 Husain's family shifted back to Qaimganj and he was enrolled at the Islamia High School in Etawah.

[12] His nephew, General Rahimuddin Khan went on to become Pakistan's Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and later Governor of Balochistan and Sindh.

[13] Masud Husain, the nephew from his eldest brother, became Professor Emeritus in Social Sciences at the Aligarh Muslim University and later Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia.

Husain was one of the founders of this private university which had Maulana Muhammad Ali as its first "Sheikh-ul-Jamia" (vice-chancellor) and Hakim Ajmal Khan as the first "Amir-i-Jamia" (chancellor).

[16][12][17] Jamia, as the Turkish educationist Halide Edib noted, had two purposes: "First, to train the Muslim youth with definite ideas of their rights and duties as Indian citizens.

"[18] In its early years, Jamia faced shortage of funds and its continued existence was uncertain especially after the Non-Cooperation Movement and the Khilafat Committee closed down.

Supervised by Werner Sombart, his thesis on the agrarian structure in British India was accepted summa cum laude in 1926.

Husain travelled across India soliciting funds for the Jamia and got financial support from Mahatma Gandhi, the Bombay philanthropist Seth Jamal Mohammed, Khwaja Abdul Hamied the founder of the pharmaceutical firm Cipla and the Nizam of Hyderabad among others.

[25] The society adopted a constitution for the university which stipulated that the Jamia would neither seek nor accept any help from the colonial administration, and that it would treat all religions impartially.

The policy, inter alia, proposed teaching craft work in schools, instilling ideals of citizenship, and its establishment as a self-supporting scheme.

It proposed seven years of free and compulsory basic education in the mother tongue, the teaching of crafts, music and drawing and learning the Hindustani language.

[34][41] Following the Partition of India, Husain was almost killed in communal violence at the Jalandhar railway station while he was on his way to Kashmir – an experience he described twelve years later to his friend Abdul Majid Daryabadi.

[12] Husain, who had served as a member of the Universities Commission between December 1948 and August 1949 however took regular charge only in early 1950 as he was incapacitated following a heart attack in October 1949.

He set to work, attempting to dissociate the university from its past association with the Muslim League and restoring school discipline.

[52] Contrary to the advice of the then Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Krishna Sinha, Governor Husain, who was also Chancellor of Patna University reappointed for a second term its serving Vice-Chancellor.

In response, the state government considered amending the law to require the governor to appoint a vice-chancellor as advised by the chief minister.

[67] Husain was chosen as the Congress party's candidate to succeed Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan as the President of India in the presidential election of 1967.

[70][71] A coalition of seven opposition parties got the sitting Chief Justice of India, Koka Subbarao to resign his post and contest the election as their joint candidate.

[74][75] There was also speculation that Husain would lose on account of cross voting against him by Congress legislators, an outcome which would have forced the Prime Minister to resign.

[83] In a memorable inaugural address, while dedicating himself to the service of the Indian nation and its civilization, Husain said[84][85] The whole of Bharat is my home and its people are my family.

[92][93] Husain, who had an interest in roses, is credited with having introduced several new varieties in the Mughal Gardens of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and building a glass conservatory for its collection of succulents.

[101] These include Uqab aur Doosri Kahaniyan and stories translated into English and published under The Magic Key series by Zubaan Books.

[108][109] Husain, who had suffered a mild heart attack earlier in the year, was unwell after returning to Delhi from a tour of Assam on 26 April 1969.

He is buried in the university campus of the Jamia Millia Islamia where his body was taken in a gun carriage in a ceremonial funeral procession, after the janaza prayers and the national salute being offered at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

[115][116] The United Arab Republic, Syria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Nepal, Bhutan and Trinidad and Tobago all declared several days' of mourning.

[125] Its architecture reflects the influence of Bauhaus aesthetics on traditional Indian styles as seen in its eight curved, reinforced concrete walls topped by rough cut marble which have been inspired by Tughluq tombs.